Still Looking for that Precious Pearl

Nope, that young dandy standing to the left of Pearl Chang is not me. I wish it were. It's no secret that I have a major crush on Pearl. She's the childhood idol I wish I had, an imaginary older sister from a parallel universe, and my secret alter ego — all rolled into one.

That this blog has unexpectedly been transformed into a Pearl Chang fansite is probably baffling to readers expecting the vintage glamour girls usually featured here. Even those who share my enthusiasm for Pearl must be a little bemused by the persistence of this obsession of mine. But obsessions are by their very nature incomprehensible to those who aren't likewise possessed. They obey the laws of their own momentum and, like a subterranean fire, must burn until their energy is spent.

While obsessions always involve a certain amount of squandered time (that might be spent on more practical matters like yardwork), they also enable miraculous discoveries, such as this unidentified photograph of Pearl Chang which I stumbled upon recently, through a perfect combination of stubbornness, intuition, and chance.

The photo (click here for the full shot) was taken in Taipei on October 28, 1971 for the occasion of the Golden Horse Awards. The centerpiece of the photo is You Long, who was awarded Best Child Star for his role in The Decisive Battle / 精忠報國 (1971), a Union Film production and the last film by Evan Yang, the MP&GI/Cathay director best known to Hong Kong movie fans for his work with Grace Chang (Mambo Girl, Air Hostess).

At the time of this photo, the sixteen-year-old Pearl was a student at the Shi Hsin School of Journalism and had probably just been admitted to the television station CTS, which was founded earlier that month and started broadcasting three days later on October 31. Even this early Pearl already seems destined for stardom. Two days after this photo she shows up again at a cake-cutting ceremony in honor of President Chiang Kai-shek's 84th birthday, where she shares the stage with Hong Kong superstars Li Lihua and Li Ching, local actresses Gua Ah-leh and Chen Sha-li, and directors Cecille Tong Shu-shuen (The Arch) and Florence Yu Fung-chi (Queen Boxer). Talk about good company! It's an auspicious start for Pearl's fascinating career.

Photo courtesy of the National Repository of Cultural Heritage / 國家文化資料庫.

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